Cannondale Lifetime Warranty: Experiences, facts

Hi there,
since Cannondale is offering lifetime warranty on their bikes, frames in particular, I was wondering what experiences you had in the past in the rare cases of a broken frame.
Whas is easily handled and replaced, even when the frame was several years old? Or had there been discussions about „normal lifetime signs“ and therefore now warranty?

(Please note, I do not want to start a discussion if Cannondale has more warranty issues than other manufactures, just would like to understand how they are dealing with cases).

Had three frames changed under the warranty , always had top notch service.
Two of the three frame took 6-8 weeks , but I consider it normal.

I still use a CAAD5 that was warrantied from a '92 Caad3 wich was warrantied from the original M800. If that CAAD5 breaks , I'm confident that they will change it for an actual frame if I still have that '89 receipt.

"There is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over" -FZ

I have had 3 broken frames with Cannondale, 2 were 7-10 years ago and they did average at best with getting me a replacement, the lat one was in October and they are awful. Poor communication, tried to stick me with a 3 year old frame instead of a new one ( the flash was a 2010 that broke) they offered a early 2008 frame as replacement, and showed total lack of respect toward me and my LBS. My LBS did go out of their way to make me happy, but they are still waiting for Cannondale to make it right for them. I now ride a Santa Cruz and cannot be happier and my back up/loaner bike is the Cannondale. Don't respect that company anymore.

Those are the model year frames I had replaced under warranty without any hassle. I had a 2004 Furio that was starting to crack but it was destroyed when I was hit by a car. Also have a cracked 2009 but was able to get a new/never ridden Flash frame on Ebay that the 2009 just sits in the box.

These were all hardtails XL. The 99, 00 and 2001 frames were drive side chainstay cracks.

I have a 2006 Prophet that developed a crack where the seat tube meets the bottom bracket.
Misplaced my receipt when we moved from Colorado to Florida, I still have the manuals and warranty card just cannot locate the receipt.
Small shop I purchased the bike from changed ownership and they claim they do not have any of the "old" records either.
Cannondale rep said "no receipt no warranty". Offered me a RZ120 "crash replacement" frame for $1,312.00.
I now have an S-Works Stumpjumper which I love.
I will never purchase another Cannondale product, too bad cause I did like that Prophet.

I had a right crankset arm of my Hollowgran replaced after a crack last year....after 3 months. And had a Taurine Team 08 replaced too after a crack on seatube...after 45 days my LBS runner after for me and exchange my frame even the Cannondale have replaced other....After 2 months the LBS received another frame from Cannondale.

I had a faulty 2011 Flash (bottom bracket shell wasn't bonded to the carbon frame properly) and Cannondale swapped it out. Only took them 10 days or so. This was all done through All Terrain Cycles and CSG.

I'm in the process of having my prophet frame replaced now. The head tube\down tube weld appears to have a crack in it, but it may be a paint crack. Rather than ask for the frame back so they can inspect it to see that it is, they are sending me a 2010 rz one forty frame as a replacement no charge. That's great service IMO. The frame is taking a while to get here, but that's a customs issue getting the frame from the US into Canada, and in no way Cannondale's fault. Oh and to the poster with a Specialized frame... You can't be mad at Cannondale for you losing your receipt, I can understand being a bit angry at the shop if you bought the bike from them, I'd think they would help you out a bit... And Specialized are the same on warranty, proof of original ownership will be required.

Misplaced my receipt when we moved from Colorado to Florida
<snip>
I will never purchase another Cannondale product, too bad cause I did like that Prophet.

You will feel the same way when/if you carelessly "misplace" your Specialized receipt.

I suggest you scan (digitize) all "lifetime" receipts on a computer (and backup). You also should fill out and send in the registration card so they have a record. Most big bike manufacturers make it easy to register a product online so you should not have any excuses.

You will feel the same way when/if you carelessly "misplace" your Specialized receipt.

I suggest you scan (digitize) all "lifetime" receipts on a computer (and backup). You also should fill out and send in the registration card so they have a record. Most big bike manufacturers make it easy to register a product online so you should not have any excuses.

Those are the model year frames I had replaced under warranty without any hassle. I had a 2004 Furio that was starting to crack but it was destroyed when I was hit by a car. Also have a cracked 2009 but was able to get a new/never ridden Flash frame on Ebay that the 2009 just sits in the box.

These were all hardtails XL. The 99, 00 and 2001 frames were drive side chainstay cracks.

That's awesome that they replaced the frames but if I had that many problems with one brand there's no way I'd buy anything from them again.

Same as my shop. I think any warranty claim experience is heavily influenced by how good your LBS is.

Things like needing a warranty replacement of a frame or any part really are in my mind a great reason to support your LBS, and avoid buying on-line to save a buck or two (I know there are exceptions to that, calm down). I rarely buy from any other place than my LBS, so when I needed a warranty replacement, it was handled no questions asked, and I got a nice 29're on loan until my bike is back..... Only issue with that is now I want a 29er to add to the collection...

My LBS had to send my Lefty to the UK service agents (TF Tuned) after one of the bearing strips came out of the bottom of the upper leg (!). The lower leg and a few other bits were all replaced. Everything was done free under warranty. Turnaround was only a few days even with shipping. They wouldn't do anything without the warranty card though, so hold on to that!

Doesn't really test the "lifetime" thing, since the bike was only 6 months old but I'm very happy how it was dealt with.

Had a Raven 2000 Super V that was ten years old, broke the seatpost brackets off and got a 2009 Rush carbon 3 sl frameset and fox rp23 shock as a replacement. My lbs kept records of my purchase, I was pleased with the service and the shop charged about 160 to swap what components would fit and install new components that I bought. Overall I was satisfied with the results.

Ouch! good luck on the warranty procecss. I just got my new frame in yesterday, and picked it up last night. Got a 2010 RZ One Forty 4 as a replacement for my 2007 Prophet. only ran me $150 for the swap out including the new parts I needed to get!

Ouch! good luck on the warranty procecss. I just got my new frame in yesterday, and picked it up last night. Got a 2010 RZ One Forty 4 as a replacement for my 2007 Prophet. only ran me $150 for the swap out including the new parts I needed to get!

Ouch! good luck on the warranty procecss. I just got my new frame in yesterday, and picked it up last night. Got a 2010 RZ One Forty 4 as a replacement for my 2007 Prophet. only ran me $150 for the swap out including the new parts I needed to get!

Wait a sec. Did you get the option to get a RZ frame instead of a prophet frame?

They don't have any prophet frames left to give out. So I got an RZ 140 as the replacement. Bonus is that I also get an upgraded rear shock since the rz140 4 has an RP2, and different shock size than the prophet did.

I bought an 07 alloy rush from eBay, rode it for a year until last fall, the seat tube snapped just above the BB. LBS sent photos and all to cdale and I was offered an 08 carbon rush under their crash replacement program for $900, the best they could do since I bought it used.
I skipped their offer and bought another alloy rush frameset from craigslist for $400. That frame cracked on the underside of the top tube at the bend behind the shock mount. Took it back to the LBS and this time cdale gave me a carbon rush replacement free of charge.

It took about 3 weeks for the frame to arrive and have the components transferred at a cost of $150 for labor.

I've been very happy with their customer service, they didn't owe me Anything either time and still tried to make me happy. My two closest riding buddies are on cdales, in part because of seeing how they took care of me.

I bought an 07 alloy rush from eBay, rode it for a year until last fall, the seat tube snapped just above the BB. LBS sent photos and all to cdale and I was offered an 08 carbon rush under their crash replacement program for $900, the best they could do since I bought it used.
I skipped their offer and bought another alloy rush frameset from craigslist for $400. That frame cracked on the underside of the top tube at the bend behind the shock mount. Took it back to the LBS and this time cdale gave me a carbon rush replacement free of charge.

It took about 3 weeks for the frame to arrive and have the components transferred at a cost of $150 for labor.

I've been very happy with their customer service, they didn't owe me Anything either time and still tried to make me happy. My two closest riding buddies are on cdales, in part because of seeing how they took care of me.

Dealer got back to me and Cannondale is offering a RZ 120 saying that my parts would swap over easier to that bike. I thought the difference between the 140 and 120 was just Fork travel. My Rize 4 was 140mm. What do you guys think?

The chainstay on my 2009 Rize 140 developed a crack a couple days ago. I'm the original owner and the paperwork has been sent to the LBS. I'm hopeful that based on reports here that they will be able to get me a replacement frame/swingarm. And since I have a trip planned for Downieville next month I'm also hoping it doesn't take a long time to get here!

I hesitate to post the full story, because my LBS and Cannondale did a phenomenal job of taking care of me in the first two years of ownership of my 2009 Rize Carbon 1 when issues arose.

The latest installment, however, took 8 months to settle, and what I am paying for is not even finalized. It would appear that a new buggy Canadian distribution centre and the rep's place in the chain of decisions are largely to blame in my case.

This is a very old claim fix but here it is. Must have been ~20 years ago:
Cannondale r400 road frame. Aluminum. Serial number stamped on the chain stay was not legible. They changed the frame out for me simply for that. Bike shop swapped out the components. The bike is still going strong in the hands of my friend.

I had a crash replacement done on a used bike that went very well back in the mid 90's.

I talked to my LBS and it he said that he can get a frame replaced even without a receipt even on a used bike. He won't do that for just anyone because it's kinda like calling in a favor It really depends on the relationship between your LBS and cannondale.

Not happening anymore. Your shop needs to send pics and copies of original receipt to warranty dept. Those days of your regional sales rep taking care of you, 1st hand or used, are over. I always tell people to buy new, and to stay away from ebay or craigslist.

I bought a Caffeine 4 29er new in 2009 and discovered a crack where the top tube meets the seat tube in 2012. My LBS (Wooden Wheels) and Cannondale took care of me and replaced it w/ a Flash 29 frame.
All was well in the world until I was riding out to the trailhead today and heard that unmistakable creaking sound again, just like the old frame made.
Sure enough, the Flash is cracked in the same place as the Caffeine.
1 year old and my warranty replacement needs a warranty replacement.
I'll see how that phone call goes tomorrow morning...

It would appear that a new buggy Canadian distribution centre and the rep's place in the chain of decisions are largely to blame in my case.

+1

I ordered a Trigger 29er in November from a LBS in Ontario. Ship date kept getting delayed. Still waiting, after months, now well into the riding season. My cracked Rize frame hangs in the garage. Cdale Canada seriously have some issues to sort out.

Semi-related question...
I have an FSA carbon bar and Cdale Integrated aluminum stem.
Trying to remove a creak sound in the stem area, should I apply carbon paste, or grease between the two? (2 different materials)

Originally Posted by gtrdave

First check all of the obvious things: bottom bracket and cranks, cables, seat post and clamp...and, yes, check the frame for gaps at all welds and joints.

Update on my situation: local bike shop said that Cannondale should warranty the frame, no problem.

Semi-related question...
I have an FSA carbon bar and Cdale Integrated aluminum stem.
Trying to remove a creak sound in the stem area, should I apply carbon paste, or grease between the two? (2 different materials)

Grease between the stem and fork steerer tube and a little carbon paste between the stem and handlebar.

I just started the procedure with cannondale as found a small crack on my BB.
It's a 2009 Prophet. As it is still ongoing I'll edit this post or something like that...
I'm the original owner with all paperwork.
First, I messaged cannondale via their website - no reply.
Next messaged them via their facebook page - no reply.
Then I posted a question on their page if I'll get an reply - yes... no reply to that also.

I went to LBS, their (unsurprised) comment to the above was: "they're not too keen on giving replacements".
They asked for pictures of the damage, whole bike, SN from the bottom of the BB and a copy of receipt. That was delivered yesterday evening and confirmed today. LBS says that it's usually about a week before they get a reply.
TBC...

That said, sounds like you have a crummy LBS. I've warrantied a cannondale frame before with absolutely awesome service from my dealer.

That's a bit complicated... I bought the bike in UK while leaving in Ireland and now I'm in yet another country. So the LBS I went to is new for me. Never even went there till yesterday tbh.... Usually using one that is closer, but they are not the authorized cannondale dealer etc

That's a bit complicated... I bought the bike in UK while leaving in Ireland and now I'm in yet another country. So the LBS I went to is new for me. Never even went there till yesterday tbh.... Usually using one that is closer, but they are not the authorized cannondale dealer etc

Yeah, I get the added difficulty. The c'dale frame I had to warranty, I also had to go to a new shop, about 1.5 hours away, after the local dealer here that held cannondale closed down. Still, I got excellent customer service. Having worked at a bike shop myself, I understand it's about the service, not the product, that separates great shops. I've since bought 3 more cannondales from that shop, even though there are some closer shops carrying different brands. When someone goes out of their way to keep me a happy customer, I'm gonna support that.

So since you are no where close to your usual LBS -- screw the shop that told you it was a PITA to warranty a cannon dale frame and call some other dealers in your area.

I went to LBS, their (unsurprised) comment to the above was: "they're not too keen on giving replacements".
They asked for pictures of the damage, whole bike, SN from the bottom of the BB and a copy of receipt. That was delivered yesterday evening and confirmed today. LBS says that it's usually about a week before they get a reply.
TBC...

BTW, that is standard practice to send photos, SN, receipt, etc. The dealer doesn't make the decision, it has to be passed on to Cannondale Tech. It will take a week or two to get back to you, maybe sooner. And you won't get a replacement on a 2009 frame. They don't make those anymore (2009 still coming from the USA). They might offer you a Trail or Rush frame (no shock either), or they will offer you a significant discount on any new bike. My advice is sell your old components, use the cash plus the discount to get a 2014 Jekyll or Trigger at a steal.

The shop made a good impression so far. Helped me right away, with no complains like "wasn't bought here" etc. To the point that I'm thinking about letting them swap the part (if indeed new frame will come my way) so they have some earnings from all that.

As far as I know, the 2009 prophet wasn't avail in US, only Europe (according to CDale info).
The Trail is hardtail, right? Can they offer me a hardtail as a replacement for full sus?
And the Rush is like 110mm as well. The Prophet is 140mm - was under impression they need to offer something that is "the same or most nearly comparable"...

Also, do you have any idea what's a "significant discount"? :-)
Just bought new Inspired in Feb, so the missus might not be overly excited when I tell her will be buying another one LOL

Had a 2009 Cannondale 29er 2, bought it brand new in 2009. Well over the years I swapped the frame out for a different and it sat in my garage rafters for the better part of 2 years. Well I took it down for a winter bike project about a year ago. I built up a fat front bike and noticed the rear wheel would not fit in right, so I took it to my LBS (non Cannondale dealer) and they measured out the rear triangle and found it was off by about .25" to the left. So I took it back to the original shop who had my receipt on file, they are no longer a Cannondale dealer (recently), they contacted Cannondale and they sent me out a 2013 29er 1 Alum frame. And a requirement of the warranty swap was for the shop to build the bike up free of charge

This was a great experience for me and I know not everyone has been so lucky dealing with Cannondale. Just thought I would share this.

CDale finally replied and offered RZ120 frame as a replacement.
So they want to give me a 120mm frame vs 140mm on my Prophet.
Mentioned that to the reply to the dealer and asked them to check with CDale if they can offer something else... we'll see...

@aw94309: it might be as well that the frame cracked due to some manufacturing fault.
Depending what crash was it :-) . I'd get it checked by them and let their engineers/experts decide...

I have had one Cannondale frame replaced do to a cracked driveside chainstay at the bottom bracket. Walked in the bike shop with just the frame, here's about how it went...

"Hi Dan, frame broke"
"That sucks dude, let me check it out...yup broke. Do you want the black frame or the white frame?"
"I'll take the white one, see you next week."
The end.

No receipt, no warranty card, just me and the frame. Mind you this was a few years back.

Now I'm trying to kill my 08' Prophet frame, can't justify a new bike if the one I have is working as great as it is. "When" it finally pops a weld somewhere, I hope my warranty experience is the same.

Been riding their bikes since 93. Had 2 warranty issues out of 12 bikes (mountain and road).

The first was a crack on the "praying mantis" carbon swing arm on the original Super-V. Received a whole new frameset in 7 days (had to give them the old one of course). Second was 6 months ago when the seal on my 29er Lefty Carbon failed. Shop mailed it off and it came back As-New in 7 business days. Loads of deals on parts over the years and excellent tech support.

All my experiences have been positive, but i'm active with my local shops and have meet the reps. My only complaint is that the bikes I have now are likely to be last C'dales I will ever own that say "Handmade in the USA"!

The first was an aluminum Rush frame that had cracked along the top tube. Cannondale replaced the frame even though i was not the original owner. I should mention that I have a very good relationship with my LBS, and its not the first Rush frame I had broken, which probably helped the process along. They replaced it with a carbon Rush frame.

The second was the replacement Rush frame. It developed cracks around the rear shock mount and Cannondale decided it was better to replace it than risk it snapping. I was given a choice between a team Scalpel or a team Trigger frame. I took the Trigger and besides for a few conversion issues (needed new rear brake caliper, Lefty is 110mm and Trigger normally comes with 130mm) I am very happy with it.

I highly recommend Cannondale to anyone, their customer service is awesome.
Just not the Rush frameset.

So Cannondale came back to me again. And again with the same frame, the RZ120.
They sent their "replacement chart" as well along with their decision, which reads Prophet for RZ120.
Not sure what to do now, but doesn't look like I have too many options here...

Man I feel for you I'm also getting the run around from cannondale about replacing a super v500 "made in America" frame. They claim the company no longer produces frames in the US and no warranty applies because of that. Has anyone had the same issue with an American frame.

Yes.....it's my 1st post and what!!! Is there a rule, do I need to wait until I get to "16" posts? Is this community not about voicing ones opinion? You know what they say opinions are like a$$ holes and I seem to have found one already. Read the name lefty305. I own several cannondale bikes, mtb and road. I'm not bashing just asking a question. Get real!!!! Don't look for hidden messages!!!

So Cannondale came back to me again. And again with the same frame, the RZ120.
They sent their "replacement chart" as well along with their decision, which reads Prophet for RZ120.
Not sure what to do now, but doesn't look like I have too many options here...

Anyone knows if they always ask for the old frames?

They take the old frame back, as for the replacement option they gave you. Don't take it! Simply tell your LBS to tell the Local rep that the RZ is not even remotely close to being the same bike. Travel aside, the geometry of the RZ does not support the style of riding the Prophet was advertised and capable of doing. Simple arguments like this will open up your option, but be warned they might just give you a Moto frame as warranty... Which depending on where you live might be a meh option.

My advice comes from having a 2007 Prophet warrantied 2 years ago and getting stuck with a Moto that kinda sucked the fun out of riding for me...

He should get the same or better product as a replacement.
So, if they don't have any Prophets, he should be able to pick which frame he wants.

Cannondale is advertising the frame as having "lifetime warranty" and should honor the deal. It's their own fault they don't have replacement frames after few years.

Bike market is extremely unstable and profitable and manufacturers seem to have little to no responsibility when it comes to customer support.

Imagine if car manufacturers simply stopped supporting their cars after a year or two. You buy a car and something breaks down and you have to buy another because you can't replace the part as it's no longer being made and it's out of stock.

Bike nowadays are almost as expensive and use much less materials and labour.

Not sure about US, but in EU if you buy something and it breaks down in warranty period you have the right to receive the same or better product. If they can't honor that, you get a refund.

@Lefty305: it doesn't matter where the bike was made!! That's utter bull... Mine also has "handmade in US" on it. Nothing to do with warranty at all....

As to my warranty claim:
went to lbs to speak with them - hey went back to their sale rep and no discussion RZ120 only based on CDale replacement chart.
Of course refused the frame and asked for the reps contact. Called the guy and heard the same story again, RZ120 - so asked for contact of someone who can say something else the what's on official CDale replacement chart. Sent an email - and again waiting...

@Lefty305: it doesn't matter where the bike was made!! That's utter bull... Mine also has "handmade in US" on it. Nothing to do with warranty at all....

As to my warranty claim:
went to lbs to speak with them - hey went back to their sale rep and no discussion RZ120 only based on CDale replacement chart.
Of course refused the frame and asked for the reps contact. Called the guy and heard the same story again, RZ120 - so asked for contact of someone who can say something else the what's on official CDale replacement chart. Sent an email - and again waiting...

Unfortunately it sounds like you are stuck with a Rep that has little or no clout at all. I should mention my Rep at the time had been in his job for about 5 or so years already and had 2 of Cdale largest accounts under his region. Sometimes stuff like that makes a difference...

Unfortunately when it is on black and white like this you can't really blame a rep for not being comfortable with bending the rule.

Just a few questions to the forum to smarten up before I contact my LBS, which is 2400km from where I am at the moment...boohoo

1) Will they replace only the rear triangle or the entire frame?
2) Can I ask for an "upgrade" to a carbon frame at a discounted price? Do they do that?

In case it makes any difference - this will be done through the European C'dale network.

cheers
grani

2400km?! That's not so much "L"BS :-D
Just FYI: you don't have to go to the place where you bought the bike originally. It just needs to be on the same continent. I'd search for something more local then 2400km if I were you, especially that there will be extra costs/delays involved with shipping new frame and the old one back (unless you have a guy there like 2clue mentioned and it's worth the extra hassle).

As to replacement. As far as I know they are replacing the whole frame, not just the damaged part.
According to the chart they gave me 2001-2007 Scalpels are by default replaced with carbon frames. If they won't offer it to you, I'd say there is no harm in asking for what you want.

Well that's part of the issue....I am living in Egypt at the moment - the next C'dale dealer is either in Europe or at the other end of this continent...you are right, in the end it doesn't matter which shop I go to, but I have none around at the moment.

So I talked to the shop where I bought the bike yesterday. They weren't quite sure (or optimistic) if Cannondale would agree to give a better frame for a fee...we'll see. The bummer is that apparently it is necessary that the LBS gets the whole bike to document the damage and start the warranty replacement process, i.e. I will be without bike for many many weeks. :-(

Well that's part of the issue....I am living in Egypt at the moment - the next C'dale dealer is either in Europe or at the other end of this continent...you are right, in the end it doesn't matter which shop I go to, but I have none around at the moment.

So I talked to the shop where I bought the bike yesterday. They weren't quite sure (or optimistic) if Cannondale would agree to give a better frame for a fee...we'll see. The bummer is that apparently it is necessary that the LBS gets the whole bike to document the damage and start the warranty replacement process, i.e. I will be without bike for many many weeks. :-(

Yeah, looks like you don't have too many options bike-shop-wise there.
In my case, the store asked just for pictures of the damage and that was enough for them. I would imagine, that Cannondale have the same rules for all warranty claims... worth asking the guys in the store about this. To this day they didn't see my frame and I'm getting close to the end of the process. Just will need to bring the old frame back when picking the new one.

Speaking of the new one - I managed to convince them (3rd guy in the claim chain) that the RZ120 is in fact different breed of a bike and I'm getting a Jekyll now. So at least that's a good news.

Picked up a 2013 Jekyll Carbon 2 on closeout from LBS, cannondale was trying to blow all 26'ers out to make room for the 27.5. (there isn't an 'official' 2014 Jekyll model, same exact specs/bike as 2013).

Rode it for 3 weeks, kicked up a rock on a local downhill trail and cracked frame on downtube right above BB (no crash). Probably a good 1.5-2 inch crack. Was worried I would be stuck with 'crash replacement', LBS took photo's, sent info to cannondale, new frame shipped a day later. Rode the new frame yesterday, all is good.

The last update to my warranty claim (finally)!
My reply to the email above was:

"I'm sorry but now it's getting slightly ridiculous...
I'm being offered a Jekyll frame, being asked to accept and once I do, I'm being told "sorry no".

I was never told this is not a warranty case, rather the opposite. All my email communication states "warranty" and there was never even slightest mention of anything else... until now, when proper replacement frame was accepted.

Please send the Jekyll frame as proposed on 09.05.2014 and accepted on 14.05.2014. I believe my agreement concluded the WARRANTY (and not anything else as it was never stated that it is NOT a warranty issue) discussion and with it two-sided agreement has been reached.

Thank you and I look forward to your confirmation that the Jekyll frame has been sent."

Yeah. Finally over with this s***. Have to admit, this is almost at the top of my bad customer service experiences...
Sent them last email asking if on the new frame there is also lifetime warranty as in their T&C it states:
"This limited warranty applies only to bicycles purchased in fully assembled and adjusted condition from Authorized Cannondale Retailers or other outlets specifically authorized by Cannondale to distribute Cannondale bicycles."
That's kinda pretty straight forward, but wander if it's a different story in case of warranty replacements.

It seems you guys are having better luck!
Cannondale rep came back with a no. I even suggested forgetting about the new frame, I even suggested An upgrade front shock for my lefty, a wheel set I can run tubeless, since the factory ones cannot be converted all no, no, no.. I highly dislike companies that only see dollar signs instead of customers. Makes me want to get rid of my lefty,now if it didn't ride so sweet!!!

It seems you guys are having better luck!
Cannondale rep came back with a no. I even suggested forgetting about the new frame, I even suggested An upgrade front shock for my lefty, a wheel set I can run tubeless, since the factory ones cannot be converted all no, no, no.. I highly dislike companies that only see dollar signs instead of customers. Makes me want to get rid of my lefty,now if it didn't ride so sweet!!!

Original owner? Proof of purchase? Working with the same shop where the bike was purchased? I've never had any trouble getting a replacement frame. That's two made in America frames and an overseas frame. For me, it's all been through the same shop where I purchased the original bike.

Speaking of the new one - I managed to convince them (3rd guy in the claim chain) that the RZ120 is in fact different breed of a bike and I'm getting a Jekyll now. So at least that's a good news.

Who did you speak with about getting an RZ120? I'd gladly settle for that since my cracked Jekyll frame is 10 years old (back when Jekylls were more cross country). My LBS said there are no 26" frames left and I'd have to buy a 29" at 40% off. I told them sorry, but I don't have $1,000+. I was basically told everyone's moving to 29", so suck it up.
I'm trying to stay with as many of my parts as possible. LBS said getting a 29" frame and buying all the parts myself would cost the same as buying a 40% off bike.

Yes, I'm the original owner. And yes, I'm entitled to a new frame.
The problem is my old bike and all its parts are 26". LBS is telling me Cannondale only has 29" frames now. So they're steering me toward Cannondale's offer of a new bike at 40% off. They're telling me getting a 29" frame and buying all the parts separately will be the same price as buying a new bike at 40% off.
Maybe I should ask for a road bike frame, getting all new parts might be cheaper.

Yes, I'm the original owner. And yes, I'm entitled to a new frame.
The problem is my old bike and all its parts are 26". LBS is telling me Cannondale only has 29" frames now. So they're steering me toward Cannondale's offer of a new bike at 40% off. They're telling me getting a 29" frame and buying all the parts separately will be the same price as buying a new bike at 40% off.
Maybe I should ask for a road bike frame, getting all new parts might be cheaper.

I've been offered a few different things going through this process a few different times. A couple that apply to you that maybe could be brought up to the LBS or rep. When I broke my Rush frame and they no longer made those, they searched other Cannondale dealers for old stock to use as replacement. When I broke my 2nd RZ frame, they gave me a complete Jekyll as a replacement because I asked for a straight replacement RZ frame so all my parts would swap. At that time they said no more RZ frames were available and I'd have to get something else, that turned out not to be the case but I got a complete and ready to ride bike nonetheless.
Good luck

A friend I ride with broke 3 Scalpel frames. They replaced the first 2 no problem. When the 3rd broke the LBS suggested he "upgrade" to a new bike. Anyway, he was pissed and we wrote a letter to the President of Cannondale explaining the situation, how much it cost to swap parts and lost riding time, etc. Anyway, about a month later, the LBS (they were a little pissed he wrote directly to Cannondale) informed him that Cannondale was sending him a brand new Trigger, full bike, not just frame, as the Scalpel was obviously not the right bike for him. The LBS tried to dick him around with with labor and what not to build it up, but we sent another letter to Cannondale who told the LBS to build the bike for him at no charge, which they did.

Moral of the story, in this case was that dealing with Cannondale directly got much better results than using the LBS as a go between and, as it turns out, the LBS was trying to screw him into buying a replacement at a discount when Cannondale gave him a free upgraded bike. He likes the Trigger a lot more than the Scalpel.

The warranty is pretty clear that it only covers the frame, so I never imagined a full bike was an option. My LBS said they'd charge me $200 to swap my parts to the new frame if I can even get a 26" frame. Is that customary or do most shops swap parts at no charge? It seems like it would take a couple of hours work.
Asking for a new free bike to cover a 10-year old bike might be a bit of a stretch.

The warranty is pretty clear that it only covers the frame, so I never imagined a full bike was an option. My LBS said they'd charge me $200 to swap my parts to the new frame if I can even get a 26" frame. Is that customary or do most shops swap parts at no charge? It seems like it would take a couple of hours work.
Asking for a new free bike to cover a 10-year old bike might be a bit of a stretch.

His Scalpel broke 3 times in 2 years so, obviously a different situation but Cannondale did stand behind their product and did the right thing for him even when the LBS wasn't willing to. In this case, the self interest of the LBS got in the way of doing the right thing for the customer.

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This is my second warranty submission for the same frame. I got a call on Thursday saying it was approved to be replaced, however cannondale is out of medium frames until July. I told them to ask if they will swap to a carbon frame since they are out of stock. They said they would ask and get back to me, I would be willing to pay a small fee to if it came to it.

On the parts swap thing. The last time I did a warranty swap the shop was required by cannondale to assemble to working order at no charge to me. They could not give me just a frame, cannondale considered this unwarrantable.

Some of the experience I will share from the first swap. The shop I bought the bike from is no longer a cannondale dealer, so I had originally went to another shop who is now the cannondale dealer. They said "good luck ever getting a frame from cannondale." So due to this poor attitude I thought I would just go back to the original shop who sold it to me, they were very positive about it took all necessary pictures and submitted it with original receipt to cannondale. On this second submission I went back to them again, and still great to deal with. Did not try and sell me another bike or convince me of anything else.

The warranty is pretty clear that it only covers the frame, so I never imagined a full bike was an option. My LBS said they'd charge me $200 to swap my parts to the new frame if I can even get a 26" frame. Is that customary or do most shops swap parts at no charge? It seems like it would take a couple of hours work.
Asking for a new free bike to cover a 10-year old bike might be a bit of a stretch.

Yes, my experience has definitely been outside of what's written down in the warranty. I'm letting you know what my experience was so that at least you know what's possible and can get the best possible outcome. I have a good relationship with my shop and I have no doubt they had influence on how things went. I didn't ask for new bike outright, I just said that I wanted a frame to swap parts straight over without having to spend any money. I was polite but honest and straightforward. My shop also said that a replacement bike at their cost was an option as well, basically opened the catalog and told me to point at one.

I have a question about the warranty, my cousin just bought a Jekyll last week, (financed through bike shop) and decided that the bike wasn't something he really wanted. Now I'm thinking about taking over his payments for the bike and keeping it for myself.

My question is, would i be able to transfer the warranty info to my name? Im in California if that makes any difference

I also found a crack on my aluminium Cannondale Trigger 29er 1.
It affects the rear triangle and the link.
My LBS already sent some photos to Cannondale and now we are waiting for an answer

Does anyone know if Cannondale will only replace the affected parts or the entire frame?

Hi JD,

After my initial contact with my LBS (and explaining the geographical difficulties that I am facing) they offered to start the process just based on photographs. They also said that I could only get an aluminium replacement because Carbon Scalpels in my size were out of stock.
To answer your question - I was told that they will always change the entire frame.

I have not followed up ever since - partly because in the process I found out that my LBS put a wrong serial number on my receipt :-( , so I'll need to sort that out with them first. Secondly, I am in the process of relocating to Europe and will not get my bike before September anyway, so I am in no rush right now.